We all have different reasons for starting our virtual assistant businesses, and different goals for that business as well.

If your big goal is to create and manage a team of virtual assistants, the list of things to do in order to make that happen can be long and overwhelming. Wouldn’t it be great to get advice from someone who has successfully done it already?

Join us as I host Tammy Durden where she talks to us about the process of starting out as a solo VA and moving on to building a multi-VA team.

The following questions are answered in the video:

What’s the difference between subcontracting and running a VA team?

How do you know when you’re ready to create a multi-VA team?

What are the characteristics of a good team leader?

How do you continue to be successful with this business model?

How do you choose team members?

And much more!

Click here to watch now:

Did you enjoy this video?

Get more in depth with Tammy and her insightful mindset shifts by watching her live in this season’s VA Virtuosos Seminars (VAVS).

With 20 speakers (myself included!) you’ll be sure to learn things to help propel your business forward, while networking with other VAs. You don’t have to leave home to join in. It’s always so much fun—and it’s affordable!

Market it

For example, you might work on building your email list and blogging regularly in order to fill Service Package A. You might be a guest on several podcasts in order to get the word out about your ebook.

Decide what makes sense for each income stream, get the word out, and show people how you can help them!

This weekend, I successfully walked my second 5K of the year. If you had told me this time last year that I’d walk a 5K, I would have laughed at you.

So, how did I get here, crossing the finish line of another 5K?

While I’ve been working on my health for the past couple of years, I never thought of myself as particularly “athletic.” When I think about a 5K, I picture thin women with long legs, wearing all of the latest high-tech runner’s gear.

I don’t match that description—AT ALL.

But last year during my journey to better health, I decided I wanted to find my “thing” when it comes to fitness and moving my body. You know how there are CrossFit people, tennis people, spin people and runners?

Well, I really wanted a thing of my own. So I tried a number of different kinds of activities.

Among the things I tried, I started walking around my neighborhood a couple of times a week. I love being out in nature and moving my body. So, walking was a great fit for me.

I realized that I had found my “thing!” I didn’t need to fit into any particular category—I just had to do things that I really enjoyed doing.

Why did I want this so badly?

Because it was for me. Just for ME.

I really felt it was important to do something for myself. Don’t get me wrong, I love being there and doing things for my son, husband, family and friends.

But I know that, if I don’t take care of myself and do things for me, I won’t have anything left to give to others.

So, in order to push myself out of my comfort zone and do something for myself, I started signing up for local 5K events. I found out that there are definitely people who walk them instead of run, so I didn’t feel as intimidated.

Then, after completing my first one, I realized how much I loved it! I loved pushing myself, crossing that finish line and proving to myself that I could do it.

Ah-mazing!

Here’s a short video of my experience:

So, what have you done for YOU lately?

Maybe you’ve been thinking about starting your virtual assistant business, but things keep getting in the way. Or, more accurately, you keep LETTING things get in your way.

Is it something you really want for yourself?

Then, please stop putting yourself last.

If you’re ready to do something for YOU then I invite you to join me in the VA Biz Foundation Group Program.

I can’t believe we’re so close to the end of the year! Are you where you want to be in your virtual assistant business right now?

Did you set goals at the beginning of the year, only to tuck them away and never look at them again?

If that’s you, don’t beat yourself up about it. Today is a new day, so course correct and start working on what you really want your business and life to look like.

Here are 3 ways you can start working on your goals right now:

–1. Set Goals

I don’t believe it’s ever too late to create goals and a plan to achieve them. Yes, some people do like to take some time at the end or beginning of the year to work on their goals (I’m one of those people.) If that’s you—or you want it to be you—read this to help with your own plan:

But there’s really no “right” time to work on this kind of thing. I think it’s less important when you do it and more important that you just do it, get started and keep checking in with yourself along the way.

That’s how I like to tackle it. Yes, I create goals for myself at the beginning of the year, but then I keep them somewhere I can see them every day. I work on tasks that will make those goals happen. And then I regularly check in to see if I’m making progress.

–2. Start the Day with Intention

I have a quick and easy way that I start my day so that I’m in the right mindset, and sticking with tasks that will help me reach my goals.

I’ve always wanted to be that person who starts their day out with meditation and then takes 20 minutes to journal, sitting in a quiet space with a hot cup of tea.

But let’s face it—that’s not my life. I have a little one at home, and my mornings consist of getting him up and ready for school, making sure he eats and gets dressed, making his lunch, feeding the dog and taking her out—you get the idea.

But then I found something that does work for me. I might not do it as soon as I get up, but I figured out how to get my morning “me” time. After I get the little guy on the bus, I head straight to the gym. When I come home, I shower and dress for the day.

Then, before I start any work, I take just a couple of minutes and practice this exercise. It’s a short and sweet quote that I found from Jack Canfield, and it’s really been working for me:

In case you can’t see the image, it says, “Decide what you want. Believe you can have it. Believe you deserve it and believe it’s possible for you.

And then close your eyes every day for several minutes, and visualize already having what you want, feeling the feelings of already having it.

Come out of that and focus on what you’re grateful for already, and really enjoy it. Then go into your day and release it to the Universe. Trust that the Universe will figure out how to manifest it.” ~Jack Canfield

If you need a little more helping switching your mindset around to that of a successful entrepreneur, you can try this:

And Denise’s products have always helped me in this department. This free course will help you to clear your mind of any blocks, get CRYSTAL clear on your goals, infuse every part of your day with positivity, take inspired action and learn to receive.

(Note: Affiliate links are used in this post. I only recommend people and products that I trust!)

So, here’s a quick recap. Set goals. Work on them daily. Start your day with intention. Believe that you CAN achieve your goals. What are your thoughts? Have you tried any of the strategies above? Leave a comment and let me know what works for you.

And if you need a step-by-step process to create your own plan and work on your business goals, check out the Ultimate VA Business Planning Blueprint. It’s filled with checklists, worksheets and instructions to get you on track.

Whether you’re just starting your VA business or you’ve been at it for a while, having a business plan can really help you to stay on track and achieve your goals.

I absolutely love the time in between Christmas and New Year’s Day, because that’s when I get a lot of planning done for my virtual assistant mentoring business—as well as my personal life. It just seems like such a fitting time to work on things like this!

In this article, I’m going to break down my process for you. You can model this or choose pieces that work for you and make it your own.

Reflections and Lessons Learned

My first step was to look back on my goals for the previous year and how my business did, income-wise and in other ways as well. Did I achieve those goals? Why or why not?

When I ask these questions of myself, it’s not coming from a place of judgment. I don’t beat myself up if I didn’t hit a certain goal. Instead, I dive into the “why” of it all. If there is a goal I set but didn’t achieve, do I still have that goal for the new year? If so, what can I do differently this time?

Then I made a list of all the great things I did throughout the year that I’m proud of. These can be little and big things, like getting a new client or taking action on materials learned from an info product that I purchased. When I think there can’t be anything else to add to this list, I look over my planner and schedule from the past year to help jog my memory. That usually helps me think of more things to add. I read over this list, take some time to soak it in and be proud, and recognize what I have to be grateful for.

The Numbers

Next, I take a good, hard look at my numbers. Numbers totally freak me out–but that’s part of my old money story—so, I ditched that for 2016. I calculated what I need to pay bills and take care of household stuff. Then I calculated extra money for me, for self-care such as getting my nails done, massages or meals with friends. Then I noted how much I want to start saving.

Then I added up all business expenses. I took into account things like website hosting, memberships, supplies, courses and software. (If you need help figuring out expenses in your business, there’s a rate calculation worksheet in this article that will help with that.)

I broke that down into what I need to make yearly, then monthly, then weekly. To be honest, when I see it in black & white, that weekly number doesn’t seem so scary. Instead, I’m thinking, “I can totally do that!”

Scheduling

I also worked on my calendar for the year. I started with personal time that needed to be blocked off. I marked down all the days my son has off school, early dismissal or school activities. I marked down any vacations or family things, time to go to the gym and personal appointments that I have.

I figured out what hours I want to reserve as client time as well as business building and marketing time. I plugged all that in to the calendar. I saved it all in my Google calendar as well, which syncs with my client scheduling tool. That way, I know the hours someone sees to book with me are right, and I didn’t forget about a personal appointment or early dismissal, etc. (For the most part—but no one is perfect!)

Planning the Work

I’ve mapped out the first couple of months out of the year and what business building/marketing things I want to work on. I’m not sure that I’ll get the entire year mapped out, but I’m happy with the first three months at least.

I looked at themes or new products that I want to focus on. I factored in courses or programs that I run regularly a couple of times a year and plugged those into the calendar. I also noted any holidays or times of the year that I offer specials.

You can do this in your service-based business as well. You can look ahead and decide how many clients you want to work with for any given time period. What services or packages will you offer them? For how long? How many clients do you need per month to achieve your income goals? What marketing do you need to schedule on your calendar in order to make this a reality?

The Mental Aspect

I usually choose a word for the year–one that helps me focus on my goals and inspires me. But this year, it’s a quote.

“She believed she could, so she did.” ~R.S. Grey

It really encompasses how I’m feeling for my business and life this year. I plastered that baby everywhere! It’s my phone screen saver. It’s my computer screen saver. I printed a pretty version and hung it in my office. I was even looking at jewelry on Etsy that contained this quote!

I’ve also come up with some core desired feelings as well as affirmations for each that I can say daily. Here’s how I did that. I thought about how I really want to feel in business and in life. Then I chose five words—feelings—that I want to feel daily. It doesn’t have to be five—that’s just what I settled on. Then I created a positive affirmation for each one.

For example, one of my words is “healthy.” So then I thought, “What does feeling healthy mean to me?” Then I came up with, “My body feels healthy and fit. I thank her for all she does for me by giving her nourishing foods and fun movement.”

Now I can say these affirmations each day to start my morning.

There you have it! That’s my business and life yearly planning in a nutshell.

Do you see any patterns here? It’s not just hoping and wishing. I develop a plan, I map it out, I put it in front of me so that I see it every single day—and then I take ACTION! That’s the most important part right there.

So how about you? Are you ready to do this for yourself? If so, I invite you to check out the Ulitmate VA Business Planning Blueprint. It gives you my entire process, step by step, in great detail. Grab a copy of that today and let me know YOUR plan for your awesome business!

You know that setting goals for your virtual assistant business is important. You may have set goals for things like choosing your services, setting your rates, getting your website set up, deciding how much money you want to make and how many clients you want to work with.

And you’ve probably heard of the SMART goal strategy.

But what about follow through? Are you checking in on your goals? Is the SMART strategy all you need? Are the goals you’re setting really right for you?

Lisa Birnesser of Transformations Massage and Wellness Center brings up a really great point:

It’s easy to fall into the trap of setting a goal because you think you should, not because it is a priority for you. To achieve a goal, you must find a way to let your brain know that this goal is the number one thing that has to get done.